The ambitious plan to link Morocco and the UK via a massive undersea power cable has hit a major snag. The British government has declined—for now—to grant the pricing support contract essential to moving the Xlinks interconnector project forward, casting doubt over what had been hailed as a transformative venture for both countries’ energy futures.
The announcement came quietly on June 26, when the UK’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero confirmed that no formal agreement was currently on the table. The decision was relayed in a low-key statement, but the impact was anything but minor. For Xlinks, the company behind the project, the news was a clear setback. In its own statement, the firm expressed deep disappointment and confusion, calling the move a missed opportunity to lower electricity costs and speed up the UK’s transition to cleaner energy.
According to Xlinks, the proposed interconnection would have slashed wholesale electricity prices in Britain by as much as 9% in its first year of operation—no small feat in a country where energy costs remain among the highest in Europe. Even more striking, the company emphasized that the entire initiative required no upfront public investment. The proposed electricity purchase price, it claimed, was not only competitive but also backed by long-term capacity guarantees covering up to 8% of national demand.
Xlinks further underscored the project’s broad economic and environmental benefits. Independent analyses had projected £20 billion in total economic gains, including £5 billion targeted at developing the UK’s green energy industry. Environmentally, the interconnector promised immediate impact, potentially cutting carbon emissions from the power sector by 10% within its first year.
The project envisioned a 3,800-kilometer undersea cable stretching from southern Morocco to the coast of Devon in southwest England, delivering solar and wind energy generated in the Moroccan desert directly to the UK grid. More than just a technological feat, it represented a bold, cross-continental vision of energy cooperation—one now stalled by regulatory hesitation.
As of now, Xlinks’ future remains uncertain. While the company has not ruled out further discussions with the British government, the absence of a firm commitment leaves the project in limbo. Whether this innovative idea is merely delayed—or ultimately dead on arrival—remains to be seen.
